Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today inaugurated sports allowance and sports card programmes for national athletes at Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Tejgaon.

The  prime minister launched the monthly allowance programme around 10:30am by pressing a button on a laptop, transferring Tk 100,000 instantly to each athlete’s account through Sonali Bank’s online system.

The initiative has been introduced under a pay structure for national athletes with the theme “Krira Hole Pesha, Paribar Pabe Bharosha (When sports become a profession, families gain security)”.

On the occasion, the prime minister handed over sports cards to 129 athletes and honoured those who achieved success at the international level.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, local government, rural development and cooperatives minister, attended the function as the guest of honour, while State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque chaired the event.

Sports and Youth Secretary Md Mahbub-Ul-Alam delivered the welcome address.

Aminul Haque said 129 athletes received the allowance today, adding that a total of 500 sportspersons would be brought under the programme within the next seven days.

Athletes from 20 disciplines, including the SAFF Futsal-winning women’s team, kabaddi and volleyball, have been included in the scheme.

Cricketers, however, remain outside the framework as the cricket board operates independently.

A documentary screened at the event highlighted the contributions of Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and Arafat Rahman Koko to the country’s sports sector.

It also outlined the prime minister’s plans to improve athletes’ living standards, develop new playgrounds and nurture talent from the grassroots.

Ministers and senior officials, including representatives from Dhaka South City Corporation, were present at the programme.

In the background of the documentary, the song "Prothom Bangladesh Amar, Shesh Bangladesh" was played.